Beat The Heat

This time of year, as the heat sets in, every possible weekend is spent at the beach, and the air conditioner’s cranked up (or is that down?) to the max. So after you’ve spent the whole day trying to cool off, the last thing you want to do is head to the kitchen and fire up the oven. This year, keep cooking to a minimum with these summer-perfect drinks and meals, all designed to keep you out of the stuffy kitchen—and all simple enough that you’ll be back poolside in no time.

Ice down that drink.
Frozen drinksget a bad rap, and for a good reason: most slushy drinks out there come from unnaturally-colored mixes with about quadruple the sugar they need. So this summer, forgo those strawberry daiquiris and try one of these brilliant blender cocktails: perhaps berries and rum; peach and ginger with bourbon; or watermelon, lime, and tequila, with a little jalapeño kick?

Or for something refreshing and non-alcoholic: start with Outshine frozen fruit bars, chop into chunks, and toss into a blender with lemonade or natural fruit juices. Try blending up a lemon Outshine bar with cranberry juice for a tart, slushy summer cooler, a pomegranate bar with lemonade, a peach bar with iced tea and mint…

And while you’re at it… Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
Sure, this one is obvious. But staying hydrated doesn’t have to mean putting back glass after glass of plain water. Dress up ice water with garnishes: perhaps mint and thin slices of lemon, perhaps slices of grapefruit and sprigs of thyme—leave a pitcher in the fridge and you’ll never get bored with water. Sparkling water (whether bottled or from a home carbonator) can get gussied up too—add a splash of unsweetened cranberry or pomegranate juice, or even a few dashes of bitters, which lend tons of flavor and barely any sugar.

Shut off the oven.
Nothing heats up your house like an oven, which can emit so much warmth your AC is powerless against it. So keep the oven off. Confine your cooking to a quick sear on the stovetop or, better yet, the grill. Try these amazing grilled veggie recipes to make the most of summer’s produce. And embrace the power of leftovers: grill twice as much chicken, or steak, or vegetables for dinner and you’ll have the makings of a killer entrée salad for tomorrow—no heat required.

Dessert should be chilled.
The best summer desserts require no heat whatsoever. Make your own ice cream or sorbet—something comforting like brown-sugar bourbon or unusual like a sesame ice cream with orange blossom caramel. Chill up a chocolate semifreddo with a surprising cinnamon-chile-chocolate sauce. For something lighter yet still sophisticated, try this melon “carpaccio” with lime and chile. Or opt for a healthier option chilled straight from the freezer like Outshine’s refreshing Fruit & Veggie Bars, which come in creative flavors like Strawberry Rhubarb and Peach Mango Medley—celebrating the best produce of the season.